You are here

My pending living room revamp started with my television. I'll be the first to tell you it's old. I can't tell you HOW old, mostly because it was a hand-me-down from an elderly gentleman who's now dead. And even that transaction happened eight years ago. But it works perfectly fine and if left alone, I would never think twice about it. Growing up, it seemed like everyone's tvs were old—like sofas or clocks or cars. You buy them once and get on with your life.

But isn't it funny how so many males, in particular, can't handle outdated technology? I've found that using any technology that has since been improved upon is like nails to the chalkboard to many of my guy friends. I have one friend who, before I got an iPhone, couldn't—or wouldn't—stop himself from commenting on my three-year-old cell phone every time I saw him. "It's ancient," "How do you use that thing?" "How can you SURVIVE with that?"

Really? We're talking about something not even five years old. I mean, I could see it if I had been lobbying Apple or Sony or Google or whoever else to come out with a phone that also serves as a video camera, GPS, and personal assistant and THEN still insisted on sticking with my old "dinosaur." But I didn't. I never cared about making stock trades on my phone, so why rush out to buy something that does that?

So it's ironic that technology—something that rates down at the lowest of lows in my decor priority list—is actually the catalyst of my living room revamp. It's not that I've been bullied into it. These tech-chasers can complain that my screen is too small, the picture is terrible, etc. as long as they want—it's always suited me fine. It's just that one day, after a particularly loud debate among others over MY television, I had a moment of weakness and entertained a quick thought. How different would that corner of the room look I had a little flat-screen there, sitting petitely and discreetly on a table, instead of a large, bulky box of brown with a gigantic rear end? And I liked the idea. Nothing to do with picture quality or LCD nonsense. I just liked the thought of getting a television that knows a thing or two about keeping a low-profile.

In turn, I would need to change out the bulky tv cabinet with a pair of tables, which prompts a whole other round of changes. Not because it has to, but because it's time. The television isn't the only thing in need of a little update.

Stay tuned for more on this. So far, I'm starting with a fabric like this and a table like this (though I could go way more contemporary--I just really like the metal top).